Problems installing Pontiac Transport Alternator

Alright,

Having some major issues removing the factory alternator and replacing it with a new one. First, the belt tensioner "bolt" does not work as it is supposed to, and in order to remove the original belt, I had to wedge a small crow bar between the tensioner and engine output, and then i could remove the belt. Now, comes the portion that I'm am getting very frustrated with. I cannot remove the alternator (I believe) without disconnecting the ground. However, I can't get the ground loose in alternator's current position. It is recessed back underneath the windshield portion, and I have literally put both hands on the wrench, lifted my feet of the ground and "hung" from the ground bolt. What do I do? I cannot remove the alternator until the bolt is removed, however, I cannot get the bolt removed?????? Suggestions, help, etc. I replaced several alternators in other vehicles, and have never had this much trouble. This is a HUGE pain. Please help.

Thanks,

Alex

sorry i took so long to respond, was quite busy this weekend:

yeah, got the alternator off. but, have a new problem. this problem actually existed before the new alt, but i thought the higher output of the new one would solve this. when i turn on the turn signal, the battery meter actually fluctuates in sync with the flashing of the turn signal. i know that a properly operating electrical system should not do this. i have nothing other than the factory system at the moment, and was going to upgrade, but if i cannot fix this problem, adding amps and subs will only worsen this problem.(i had to get the oil changed on saturday, and i had the alternator/battery/voltage regulator all checked, and all were fine.) i was told that the problem is most likely due to something shorting out to ground, but i cannot find out what is causing this. i have narrowed it down to three "possibilities":

1. The window system. I am currently having issues with the driver's side window. Will not roll up, but will roll down (sort of). Anyways, this weekend, i took apart the door, and cycled the window motor both up and down (with no signs of problems) with a 12 V battery hooked directly to the positive/negative terminals of the window motor. Which leads me to believe that either the switch is bad, or there is a problem further down the line with it not getting enough juice. Could this be what is draining my electrical system? I disconnected the window switch on the drivers side, but unfortunately this also disables the other window switch as well.

2. Daytime running lamps: I was under the assumption that the DRLs only turn on when the sensor does not receive enough "light" and then turns them on. However, my headlights are ALWAYS on. Low beam level, so the switch on the dash really doesn't do anything. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be like this. I'm going to contact the Pontiac dealership in town, and see if it is possible to disable this.

3. Aftermarket Keyless Entry/Remote Start. This was installed by the previous owner, and I have no idea where it is located. However, The attenna for it, is wrapped around the rearview mirror, so I think with a little time, I could follow it back to it's source. However, (before my clicker ran out of battery power), the keyless entry worked fine from the beginning, and this has been an issue since I've owned the van.

Thoughts????

thanks guys,

Alex